Rev. Ronald Bobo

Remembering the life and dreams of Martin Luther King Jr., people seeking compassionate justice gathered Monday to pray for unity in the Marshall community and throughout the world.

A 7 a.m. prayer breakfast and 8 a.m. worship service began a day of celebration for those seekers at First Assembly of God Church. Rev. Dale Bean, pastor of the church, quoted scriptures as he reminded those attending of King's devotion to the word of God.

"We have each one lived among witnesses who have demonstrated that although it's not easy to live out the word of God, those who do will be called 'children of the most high God,'" Bean said.

One by one, ministers of faith, along with Clyde Williams, president of the Marshall-Saline branch of the NAACP, spoke words of hope to encourage believers that racial unity must begin with the church.

Williams referred to King's words, "We have flown the air like birds and swum the sea like fishes, but have yet to learn the simple act of walking the earth like brothers."

"Let today be the beginning of the journey for each one of us," Williams said.

Rev. Ronald Bobo, pastor of Westside Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis, expounded on the responsibility of Christians to help promote unity throughout the world. As a man of African-American decent, Bobo said he was honored to have the opportunity to speak about King.

"He was a person in whose life we can see a commitment to a compassionate justice," Bobo said. "It's a justice based upon a love for God and for humanity."

He noted that although King opened up many pathways, there are still issues that need to be faced and reconciled. He said people need to look at racism and reconciliation, affirmative action, welfare reform and public education and privatized prisons. The next step in the fight for compassionate justice involves economical and spiritual resolutions, Bobo said.

"We need justice in our land," he preached. "We must continue to be a passionate people. We will not give up and we will not give in. We cannot give up and we cannot give in until we hear the trumpet sound of our Lord."

To conclude the service, event coordinator Rev. Charles Oliver reminded members of the congregation to stand firm in their faith, pray for unity and remember King's dream.

"We must step out of our comfort zone and know there is still work to be done, wars to be fought, and church, it has to begin with us," Oliver said.